July 11, 2012

I'm still doing the TdF. I spun up my art batt, and have started the Navajo-Churro again. As much as I love the color, it can be tedious to see after a while. As a result of the TdF I've been spending more time on the chat threads around various fiber places. Something that I've heard over and over is that husbands, children, family, friends, coworkers, and even strangers are less than supportive of their skills and hobbies.

Every time I read something about a person being put down, or told they spent too much time on it, or have too much yarn/fiber/whatever it breaks my heart a little. Fiber related things take talent, dedication, and time. To put someone down for that is ridiculous. Not understanding why a person does this is one thing, but ignorance does not mean you can be hurtful. Finding something you love to do and becoming good at it as a result of the time spent is something to be proud of. It wasn't so long ago that yarn, clothing and house goods were made by hand. While some people might not appreciate that fact, there are those that do. It's almost like magic to take raw fiber, hold it in your hands and turn it into yarn, then to take that yarn and turn it into a usable wearable work of art. I can't fathom why the people closest to these individuals can't be supportive and proud of them.

It makes me value my family and friends that much more. I am surrounded by such supportive people. They understand how much what I do means to me. They are proud of me. They support my fiber endeavors. It means the world to me, to have their support. Especially after reading what other people have to deal with. And I know, not everyone has such hurtful people in their lives, and that makes me happy. But for those people who do, my heart goes out to them. Because they do great things and deserve recognition for the hard work their craft requires.

Ah sorry...anyway, here's some of the yarn I've made.

This yarn has been finished since the picture, but I haven't taken another picture. I'll update later.

July 5, 2012

Since getting my wheel up and running, I've been spinning up a storm. I've spun through all of the fiber I had in two weeks and spun some silk, Norwegian top, mystery wool, Lincoln top, Churro, and a blended art batt. The Churro I scoured myself and have three lbs of.

This is silk that I've dyed myself. It was a gift, and it was so super fun to spin.

This is the first of my Navajo-Churro.

Here's the art batt. I've spun half of it. and have two more batts to spin afterwards.

The Tour de Fleece has been really great for me. I've learned a lot, and made some really lovely yarn. I'm excited to see how much I can spin during this Tour.